Pneumatic arch support



A. T. HANSON.

PNEUMATIC ARCH SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED 05c. 28. 192].

Patented Nov. .14, 3.922.

4 M i Svwewto'a Patented Nov. 1d, 1922 rare r 'ALEEBT '1. Hanson, or SEATTLE, WASHING-TON.

PNEUMATIC ARCH SUPPORT.

Application filed December 28, 1921. Serial No. 525,388.

T 0 all whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. Hanson, a citizen of the-United States, residing at w? Seattle, in the county of'King and State of Vitashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic ArchSupports, of which the following is a-specification, reference-being had to the accompanying drawings.

jfThisinvention relates to arch supports and has'for itsobject to provide an arch "support capable ofbeing arranged to suit any arch whether normal or disfigured.

Another-object of the invention 1s to provide-a support of this character wherein no steel or metal is used tosupport the arch.

Another object of the invention is to provide: 'a-support of this character including aninsole to which a pneumatic pad is connected, the pad beingprovided with means for regulating the size of the same to suit thearch of the user.

- Another object of the invention is toprovide an arch supportof'this character 1ncludin'g an. insole and a pneumatic pad,

saidpad extending longitudinally and laterally of the insole, and terminating adjacent the end portions of'the insole.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide an arch support of this character including a pneumatic pad having a tube for inflating the same, the tube being provided with means for closing the same to prevent leakage of air, said means being substantially embedded in the insole to render the device compact,

Vith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described, fully claimed and illustrated in the accompanyinc: drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation showing the pad of the arch inflated and ready for use;

Figure 2 shows the pad deflated with the fastening device partially removed;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the arch;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view showing the recess and slot for the fastener; and

Figure 5 is a detailed the fastener.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates an insole, the end portion 6 of said insole perspective view of at the intermediate portion of tion, said slot extending through the inner end thereof, the purpose ofwhich will be bfeing rounded to conform to the curvature of the heel of the shoe, while the end portion 7 is substantially straight. Secured to one face ofwthe insole and coinciding with the end portion 7 thereof is a lamination 8 of material such as leather, the inner edge of the lamination being substantially curved as at 9, a slot 10 being provided said laminahereinafter described.

The intermediate portion of the lamina tion immediately above the slot is removed .to provide a recess 10" which extends from the enter to the inner end of said lamination, while secured to the outer face of the lamination and extending over one end portion of the recess 10 is a sheet of material 11, saidsheet cooperating with the end portion'of the recess to provide a pocket.

The opposite end portion 7 of the insole is tapered so as to lie perfectly flatwhen within the shoe. A strip of material 12- is secured to the end. portion 7 inwardly of the extremity of said end portion, while eX- tending over said strip and substantially merging with the extremity of said end portion is a amination of material 13. By the use of thelaminations at each'end of. the

insole a recess substantially provided between said lamination, said recess extending laterally of the insole.

In connection with the insole 5, a pneumatic pad 141- is provided, said pad when deflated being adapted to lie flush with the lower surface of the laminations at each end of the insole so that it substantially forms a part of the insole. The pad consists of two laminations of material, such as rubber, which are secured at their edges to each other. The inner lamination of the pad is longer than the outer lamination so as to provide a projection at the end portion 15 of the pad, adapted to be engaged by the ,laminations at the end portion 17 to assist in securing the pad to the insole. The opposite end portion 16 of the pad is cut to conform to the curvature of the inner end portionof the lamination 8. A relatively small tube 17 is connected to the end portion 16 of the pad, said tube being adapted to enter the pocket provided by the cooperation of the slot 10 with the insole, so as to eliminate the possibility of projections when the support is in use. The pneumatic pad is secured at each of its ends 15 and 16 to .the insole and to the adjacent portions of the laminations at each end of the insole, the longitudinal edges of the pad being free with respect to the longitudinal edges of the insole, to prevent interference with the selfadjustment of the arch support when in use;

posite end portion and extending toward the slot. In connection with the strip 18, a strip 21 is used, said strip having recesses 22 provided adjacent oneend portion thereof to formal T-shaped head 23, the strip 22 being "shorter than the strip 18. In the application of the fasteningv means, the T-shaped head 23 is inserted through the slot 19. The strip 21 is then turned so as to position the neck formed by the recesses 22 within the slot in'such a way that the strips 18 and 21 will be disposed in parallel relation. The opposite end 24: of the strip 21 is adapted to be disposed beneath the finger or lip 20 so as to firmly clamp said strips to each other. It will be noted that the end portion of the strip 18 provided with the slot 19 is slighly sprung so as to cooperate with the strip 21 to produce a clamping action.

In the use of the device, the user inflates the pad 1 1 by means of the tube 17. The tube is then passed through the slot 19 in ad- 7 vance of the neck formed by the recesses 22 so as to dispose the tube between the strips 18 and 21. The end portion 24 of the strip 21 is then inserted beneath the finger or lip 20 so as to clamp the end of the tube between said plates and thereby prevent the escape of air. The fastener or valve is then inserted in the recess '10 with its end inserted in the pocket formed through the cooperation of the end of the recess and the sheet 11, thereby disposing the tube, as well as the fastener or valve member flush with the lower surface of the lamination'8.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that this invention provides a novel form of arch support which will automatically {it any arch, whether normal, disfigured or out of shape, or anylast of shoe by simply regulating the amount of air within the pad 14. In addition to this, the device will protect the arch of the user from cold or damp in view of the air space under the arch. It will also protect the arch of the wearer from the heat of the streets in hot weather, as the air space under the entire arch and foot, as well as the air within the pneumatic pad will stay at blood temperature. "In addition to this, in view of the novel valve or fastening member, the amount of air can be quickly regulated, and no special means is necessary in order to position or hold the arch support within the shoe.

lVhat is claimed is An arch support comprising an insole, a lamination of material carried by each end portion of said insole, said laminations projecting from one face of the insole, one of said laminations having a recess and a pocket disposed at one end of said recess, a pneumatic pad secured to the insole between said laminations, a tube extending from said pad and means engaged with said tube to prevent deflation of the pad, said means being disposed Within the recess and the pocket. V

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ALBERT T. HANSON. 

